Method of marking, punching, and assembling shroud-bands for turbine-blades.



J. B. WEAVER. METHOD OF MARKING, PUNCHING, AND ASSEMBLING srmouo BANDS FOR TURBINE BLADES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 23. 1914.

Patented Nov. 2, 1915.

INVENTOR ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES T @FFlQFl. I

JOSEPH BRIGGS WEAVER, 0F NEWPORT NEWS, VIRGINIA.

METHOD OF MARKING, PUNCHING', AND ASSEMBLING SHROUD-IBANDS FOR TURBINE- BLADES.

Application filed July 23, 1914.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOSEPH BRIGGS VVEAVER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newport News, county of Warwick, State of Virginia, have invented a new and useful Method of Marking, Punching, and Assembling Shroud-Bands for Turbine-Blades, of which the following is a specification.

In methods and devices heretofore employed for marking, punching and assembling shroud bands for turbine blades, considerable difficulty has arisen owing to the unevenness and the varying thicknesses of the blades and of the spacing blocks or distance pieces, and also the necessity of spacing the last blades of a row so that they will come out even at a point.

As many rotors are of great weight and difiicult to handle or manipulate, since some of them exceed seventy tons in weight, it is vary advantageous that some means be em-- ployed which will eliminate the necessity of moving or shifting the rotors or any part thereof during the process of assembling the shroud bands with respect to the blades and, in my present invention, I have wholly eliminated all necessity of moving the rotors during the period of their construction hereinafter referred to. Owing to the varying dimensions of the blades, it is not practical to accurately figure or compute the center of the distances and then punch the blades from the figures thus obtained, and in such methods unnecessary and improper strain is placed upon the blades owing to their being out of alinement with the holes in the shroud band.

In my present invention, the ends of the blades are preferably formed in such a manner as to provide means for indicating or marking on the templet the exact position of the hole to be punched in the shroud band which will take care of all irregularities in a radial direction due to the varying thicknesses of the blades and distance pieces and.

the resultant irregularities due to calking.

My present invention therefore in its broad and generic scope consists of a novel method of marking, punching and assembling shroud bands with respect to turbine blades ofrotors whereby any and all irregularities of the blades are taken care of and the turbine blades of the rotors or casings Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 2, 159115.

Serial No. 852,718.

wherein the ends of the turbine blades are first formed in a novel manner and the blades having been assembled in the rotor or casing, an impression is next taken from the outer ends of said blades, upon a suitable templet and then this templet is next positioned in proximity to the shroud band so as to indicate the exact points at which the holes in the shroud band are to be punched, which receive the ends of the turbine blade, the shroud band being next assembled with respect 'tothe turbine blade and lastly se cured thereto in a suitable manner preferably by swaging or heading the ends of the blades.

My invention further consists of a novel turbine blade and of a novel formation on the end thereof.

Other novel features of my invention will more clearly hereinafter appear in the detail description.

For the purpose of illustrating my inven tion, I have shown in the accompanying drawing one form thereof which is at present preferred by me, since the same will give satisfactory and reliable results, although it is to be understood that the various instrumentalities of which my invention consists can be variously arranged and organized and that my invention is not limited to the precise arrangement and organization of these instrumentalities as herein shown and described other than as defined in the appended claims.

Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a portion of a rotor and the turbine blades therefor showing the stri forming the templet contiguous to said blades. Fig. 2 represents a plan view of a portion of a rotor showing'the tops of the turbine blades there in, the templet strip having been removed therefrom. Fig. 3 represents, in side elevation, one end of a turbine blade. Fig. 4 represents a side elevation of one end of a turbine blade assembled with respect to a shroud band, said shroud band being shown in transverse section. Fig. 5 represents-, a plan view of a carrier and certain of its ad juncts. Fig. 6 represents a side elevation of Fig. showing in addition a portion of a punching element, Which may be operated by any suitable means. Fig. 7 represents a top plan view of a portion of a shroud band, after being punched. Fig. 8 represents a perspective view showing certain of the blades in assembled condition with respect to a shroud band. Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the fi ures.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates aportion of a rotor adapted to receive the lower ends of the turbine blades 2, which are maintained a desired distance from each respectively, while the recess 5 forms the angularly inclined walls 8 and 9 respectively. By this means a tenon or projection 10 is formed at the outer end of each turbine blade. The tenon or projection 10 has at its outer face, in the present instance, angularly inclined recesses 11 and 12 respectively, thereby forming a centrally located V- shaped marking spur 13. After the turbine blades have been assembled with respect to the rotor, as seen in Fig. 1, a strip or templet 14 of any desired material and preferably of some soft material, such as for example, paper or soft copper, is superimposed on the top of the V or other shaped lugs or spurs 13, as seen in Fig. 1, and said strip or templet is tapped with a hammer or the like over the terminal of each blade so that the markings attained in this manner on the strip are representative of the irregularities of the ends of the blading of the rotor or, in other words, indicative of the proper positioning of the punched holes.

The templet 14 having the markings 15- thereon, indicative of the exact location of the outer ends of the turbine blades, is then secured with respect to a carrier 16 of any desired type, one form of which is shown in Fig. 5, and preferably arranged parallel to a shroud band 17 also secured to said carrier in any desired manner. The carrier is then advanced in any desired manner by the operator so that the markings on the templet 14 will register with an indicator or pointer 18 at which time a punch 19 is caused to descend and form a hole at the proper points indicated in the shroud band 17, as indicated at 20, in Fig. 5, it being understood that the carrier preferably travels over the bed 21 of the punch. The shroud band is then assembled with respect to the ends of the turbine blade, the lugs or tenons 10 passing through said punched openings 20 in theshroud band, so that the lower face of the shroud band is seated on the surfaces or walls 6 and 9 respectively, and the outer or projecting portions of the lugs 10 are then swaged or headed, as seen at 22 in Figs. 4.

and 8. The grooved shroud band is formed,

erably V-shaped, as seen in Fig. 3, but may have any other'desired conformation. The

blades are then assembled with respect to the" rotor with the spacing blocks or distance pieces therebetween. The templet 14 is then placed along the outer ends of the blades and pressed against the same so that an exact representation of the ends of the blades is indicated on this strip. This templet strip is then assembled with respect to the shroud band and utilized to indicate the proper position on the shroud'band at which the different holes are to be punched or formed to receive the. ends of the blades. The holes being formed in the shroud band, the latter is then placed on the ends of the blades, and the lugs 10 will then readily pass through the openings 20 in the shroud band, and thereafter the ends of the lugs 10 are swaged.

It will be apparent that the construction and arrangement of the carrier or device for holding the marked templet and shroud band in position for the punching operation may vary widely in practice and I do not therefore desire to be limited to any special type of construction for such purpose.

It will be apparent that the templet 14 which I employ may be made of paper or other material like soft copper, and it will also be apparent that the carrier, shown in Fig. 5, which I have shown as being constructed of the end pieces suitably joined together, said end pieces also carrying thethe shroud bands from figures thus drawn,-

and it has also been heretofore attempted to rotate the rotor so that the ends of the blades will pass apointer and as each end reaches the pointer the rotor is stopped and the shroud band is then punched. These methods are, however, not accurate and are open to serious objections in practice.

My present invention comprises a greatimprovement over these prior devices, since I am enabled to accurately punch the shroud bands, as hereinbefore explained, so that all irregularities of blading are provided for, and the proper positioning of the holes in the shroud bands for the blades of the rotors or casings can be laid off without moving them, which is a very important feature, since these rotors weigh, in some instances, seventy tons or more and are ditlicult to handle or manipulate.

It will be apparent that the punching mechanism seen in Fig. 6 can be operated manually or mechanically by any suitable means and I deem it unnecessary to show or describe in, detail the mechanism whereby the punch 19 is actuated or reciprocated', as this will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

It will be apparent that by my invention I am enabled to space oif and indicate, with great accuracy and exactness, the exact points or indicia at which the shroud bands are to be punched and that by my method a very much better character of work can be obtained than by the methods heretofore employed.

It will now be' apparent that I have devised a new and useful method and apparatus for marking, punching and assembling shroud bands for turbine blades which en1- bodies the features of advantage enumerated as desirable in the statement of the invention and the above description, and while I have, in the present instance, shown and described a preferred embodiment thereof which will give in practice satisfactory and reliable results, it is to be understood that the same is susceptible of modification in various particulars Within thescope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new and desire to-secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The herein described method of marking and punching shroud bands for turbine blades, which consists in assembling said blades in a rotor, applying a templet to the ends of said blades, next impressing upon said templet the positions of the ends of said turbine blades, next assembling said templet and shroud band in a suitable carrier, and lastly punching said shroud band at points in alinement with the indicia on said templet.

2. The herein described method of marking, punching and assembling shroud bands for turbine blades, which consists in assembling said blades in a rotor, ap-

plying a templet to the ends of said blades, next impressing upon said templet the positions of the ends of said blades, next assembling said templet and shroud band in a suitable carrier, next punching said shroud band at points alining with the indicia on said templet, next assembling said shroud band with respect to the ends of said turbine blades, and lastly heading the ends of said blades upon said shroud band.

. 3. The herein method of marking, punching and assembling shroud bands for turbine blades, which consists in forming a marking device on the ends of said turbine blades, assembling said blades in a rotor, applying a templet to said marking devices on the ends of said blades and next forming on said templet indicia indicative of the position of said marking devices.

4. The herein method of marking, punching and assembling shroud bands for turbine blades, which consists in forming a marking device on the ends of the turbine blades, assembling said blades in a rotor, applying a templet to said marking devices on the ends of said blades, next impressing on said templet-indicia indicative of the position of said marking devices, next punching said shroud band at points alining with the indicia on said templet, next assembling said shroud band with respect to the ends of said blades and lastly heading the ends of said blades upon said shroud bands.

5. The method of indicating points on a shroud band at which holes are to be punched in accordance with the location of the turbine blades to be assembled in a rotor, which consists in forming the ends of the turbine blades with marking devices thereon, assembling said blades in said rotor, taking the impression of the said marking devices and then forming holes in the shroud band at the points indicated by said impres- SlOIlS.

6. The herein described method, which consists in forming on the ends of turbine blades a centrally located spur, assembling said blades with respect to a rotor, taking impressions of said spurs on a templet to indicate the distance apart of the blades to compensate for all irregularities in a radial direction due to various thicknesses and spacing of blades and irregularities due to calking, and lastly forming holes in a shroud band at points indicated by said impressions.

7. The method of marking, punching and assembling shroud bands of rotors, which consists in forming on the outer ends of turbine blades a central spur, assembling said blades with respect to the rotor, pressing a templet against said spurs to receive an impression thereof, forming holes in a shroud band at points alining With said impressions, and lastly assembling the shroud band a turbine blade having a tenon at the end With respect to said blades. thereof provided With a marking device.

8. As an improved article of manufacture, I a turbineblade having a tenon formed on JOSEPH BRIGGS WEAVER. r, the end thereof and a central spur or mark: Witnesses:

ing point formed on said tenon. GEO. A. PARKS,

9. As an improved article of manufacture, I W. R. AsHBURN. 

